Page 18 of The Mountain Man's Flirt

I glance up at him and frown. “What do you mean it’s already a done deal?”

Guilt flashes across his face. “Jamie.”

Anger and hurt mix together, making my stomach churn. “My brother already worked it out for me. I should have known. Does he really not believe in me? Am I such a screw-up in his eyes that I can’t be trusted to do even the tiniest of tasks?”

“He cares about you, honey,” Amos keeps his tone light.

My shoulders slump. “No, he doesn’t. The moment he gets angry with me, this shop will be something he tries to take from me. He didn’t approve of my college choice and blocked my attempts to get the money I needed for it. Money from my own trust fund. It was the same thing when I wanted to change my major. That’s why I dropped out. He’s never going to let me make my own decisions.”

The muscle in his jaw works. “Is that right?”

I shake my head, realizing what I did. I promised myself I would never come between them, that I would keep my relationship with Amos separate. “It doesn’t matter. It’s my battle to fight.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You never fight alone. I’ve always got your back.” He presses a kiss to my temple. “I think I can get the truck on the road. We still need a few things from the hardware store to set up the shelves in your pantry.”

“Is it open already?” I ask about the hardware store. If that’s open then other businesses around town should be too.

“Go pack your things. As soon as that pantry is set up, you’re coming home with me.” He raises his eyebrows. “We have a four-poster there too.”

“And the jacuzzi,” I call after him. “You promised me one with turbo jets.”

He walks toward the door, pausing to turn around and smile at me. “I’d love to see you in that.”

I sigh when he leaves. Maybe it’s possible to stay in this cocoon of bliss after all. Maybe we’ll always be this good together.

Amos

My phone rings as soon as I’m in my truck. I don’t recognize the number, but I still answer.

“It’s me,” a quiet voice says.

My shoulders sag in relief. It’s Jordyn calling. She was a waitress at the pub a few months back. I always suspected she needed someone to keep an eye out for her and I did my best to watch over her. I thought of her as the little sister I’d always longed for.

“I wanted you to know I’ve landed on my feet again and I’m safe.”

“Are you sure? Where are you staying? I’ll wire you a bit of cash,” I promise.

One day, she stopped showing up for work. I checked out the address she’d put on her application form and discovered a vacant lot on the edge of Asheville. That was the moment I understood she was more than just skittish or shy. She was running from someone.

She chuckles at my concern. “I’m fine. I’m…with a friend.”

I grunt. “What kind of friend?”

She finally showed up after about a week of being missing to collect her last paycheck. She looked disheveled and scared. But no matter what I said, I couldn’t get her to tell me what was going on. Finally, I just cashed her paycheck and gave her as much cash as I could gather. She left on the first bus out of Mount Bliss and I haven’t heard from her since.

I grunt. “What kind of friend?”

She answers far too casually, “A man friend.”

“Do I need to come to where you are and kick his ass? I’ll kick his ass if he makes you cry. You tell him that. Better yet, you put him on the phone.”

She chuckles again, the sound light and airy. She seems more relaxed than she ever was when she was working at the pub. “I have to go. Thanks for always looking out for me.”

I sigh. “Just be careful. Call me if you need anything. I’ll come pick you up even if I have to cross oceans.”

“I’ll call you when I can,” she promises as she hangs up.

I stare at my phone after our conversation, hoping and praying that she’s finally found a place she can be still. A home of her very own.

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